Shoe machine



Nov. `18, 1947. l c. A. ROBINSON ET AL 2,430,889

SHOE MACHINE Filed July 18, 1945 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Inventors C72@ Fles .3obz` nson Herman A. fm zo 'Patented Nov. 1s, 1947 2,430,889 SHOE MACHINE Charles A. Robinson, Salem, and Herman A. Imhof, Beverly, Mass.,Y assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 18, 1945, Serial No. 605,696

Claims.

This invention relates to machines for use in the manufacture of shoes, and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,201,366, issued on May`21, 1940, on an application led in the name of Robert H. Lawson. It is to be understood, however, that this invention is not limited to use in a machine organization of the exact character of this prior disclosure.

Machines of the type to which this invention relates are, as exemplified by the machine of the mentioned patent, provided with devices for operating on the marginal portion of a shoe supported on a jack, progressively along the edge of the shoe as the point of operation is shifted by relative movement of the jack and the devices. Specically, the machine of the patent referred to has intermittently operating devices for lasting the upper progressively along the sides of a shoe, each ofthese devices including upper tensioning means, upper securing means and a guiding presser-foot for engaging the bottom of the shoe; and a shoe-supporting jack that is movable, in time relation to the operation of the lasting devices for shifting the shoe to transfer the point of operation along the marginal edge of the shoe. This machine also has spring means for exerting upward pressure on the jack to hold the bottom of the shoe yieldingly against the guiding presserfeet, as the shoe is being shifted, together with mechanism for causing the spring means to exert an additional upward pressure on the jack so that the bottom of the shoe is held more rmly against the guiding presser-feet during the operation of the lasting devices, and particularly during the action of their upper securing means which are movable inwardly from the edges of the shoe with a component of movement toward the shoe bottom, in order that the shoe may not be displaced vertically and moved out of engagement with the guiding presser-feet by the upper securing means.

An object of the invention is to provide, in a machine of the type mentioned, novel and improved mechanism for so exerting upward pressure on a jack that the bottom of a shoe supported thereon is urged yieldingly, at times with a relatively light pressure and at other times more firmly, upward and against guiding presser-feet associated with devices for operating on the shoe. With this purpose in view, and in accordance With a feature of this invention, the herein-illustrated machine is provided with a spring means for supporting the entire weight of the jack and shoe supported thereon, and for holding the bottom of the shoe yieldingly, and with a relatively light pressure, against the guiding presser-feet and also with mechanism, separate from the spring means, for applying additional upward pressure on the jack to hold the shoe more rmly against the guiding presser-feet during the periods of operation of the devices. Invention is also to be recognized in the provision of manually operable means for selectively varying the amount of additional pressure applied to the jack. More specifically, the mechanism for applying additional pressure to the jack comprises a spring which is operatively connected at one end to the jack and means operable intime relation to the action of the devices for operating on the shoe, for connecting the opposite end of the spring to a moving part of the machine in such a way that the spring is tensioned by the movement of said part. Preferably and as herein illustrated, this connecting means includes a pawl arranged to engage a ratchet, bar secured to one end of the spring and manually adjustable means are provided for selectively timing the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet bar to vary the extent the spring is tensioned by the moving part and, as a result, the amount of additional pressure that is applied to the jack. Y

The above and other objects and features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof disclosed in the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a machine embodying the features of this invention, certain portions of the machine being broken away to simplify the disclosure; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are Views, on an enlarged scale, of elements of the machine shown `in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated machine, which Wth exception of the mechanism for applying upward pressure on the jack, to be described below, is substantially the same as the machine disclosed in the above-mentioned patent, is provided with intermittently operating devices indicated at 2 for lasting the upper along the opposite sides of a shoe, each comprising a support carrying a guiding presser-foot han upper securing device 6 and an upper tensioning gripper 8, see Fig.V 1. These units are operated in exactly the same manner as, and by mechanism similar to, that of the machine disclosed in the above-mentioned patent, and including an operating cam shaft lil, which is shown as being driven, in the direction of the arrow, from a motor 3 supported on the vmachine frame 5.

As in the machine of the prior patent, the shoe, consisting of an upper U and an insole I assembled on a last L, is supported with its bottom face held against the guiding presser-feet 4 by means of a jack, including a shoe supporting frame member t2 that is pivotally mounted, at its lower end, on a horizontally extending link I4. This link is likewise pivotally mounted on a vertically extending arm I, and this arm is itself pivotally mounted on a base member I8 that is rotatably supported in the machine frame 5. The construction and arrangement of this jack are exactly the same as that disclosed in the prior patent to which reference may be had for a complete description of the details thereof, and, during the operation of the machine, the jack is moved, in time relation to the action of the lasting devices, to shift the shoe in a lengthwise direction relative to the lasting devices in the same manner as in the prior machine, and by similar mechanism including the operating cam shaft I0, an eccentric 22 secured to the operating shaft, an oscillating and vertically movable lever 24 associated with the eccentric, a notched disk 26 which is operatively connected by mechanism not shown but similar to that in the mentioned prior'patent and including a pattern cam shaft 21, to a bell crank lever 28 from the upper end of which an operating link 3E! extends to the jack frame part I2.

For exerting upward pressure on the jack frame member I2, to hold the bottom of the shoe against the guiding presser-feet, and similar to the Inachine of the prior patent mentioned above, the herein illustrated machine has a cable 40, connected at one end to a lever arm 42 that is pivotally mounted on the machine frame 5, which extends over pulleys 44, 46 and 48 to an anchorage on the lower ends of two links 5D which extend downwardly from the jack frame member I2. During the operation of the machine, the lever arm 42 is constantly urged to turn, in a counterclockwise direction, by means of a long coil spring Si? that is stretched from the outer end of this arm to an anchor pin 62 mounted on the machine frame 5. This spring is of just sufficient strength to support the entire weight of the jack, together with that of a shoe supported thereon, and to hold the bottom of the shoe yieldingly, with a relatively light pressure, against the guiding presser-feet 4. Due to the considerable length of this spring, the pressure of the shoe bottom against the guiding presser-feet will be maintained substantially constant, regardless of the different vertical positions assumed by the jack frame member I2, because of the heightvvise curvature of the shoe bottom, as the shoe is shifted relatively to the lasting devices.

In order, at times, to increase the upward pressure exerted on the jack frame member I2 by means of the cable 4D and arm 42, and thereby hold the bottom of the shoe more firmly against the guiding presser-feet 4, a second spring 89 is connected at one end to this arm by means of a rod 32 on which is threaded an anchor block B4 that is secured in position on the rod by a lock nut 8G, see Fig. 2. The opposite end of the spring is secured, by a similar anchor block 88 and screw 9i), to the lower end of a T-shaped ratchet bar e2 that is slidably mounted in a correspondingly shaped groove 94 in a slide 96. At its upper end, this slide is pivotally connected to one arm of a lever 88 that is rotatably mounted on a cross shaft Idil supported on the mahine frame 54.

The other arm of this lever 98 is connected by means of a link |02 to the oscillating and vertically moving lever 24. Extending outwardly from one side of the slide 9B is an ear |04, in which a pawl lever |06 is pivotally mounted. This pawl lever has one arm that is provided with a pawl tooth |538 which at times is adapted to engage ratchet teeth III), formed on the ratchet bar 92, and another arm I I2 .which is pivotally connected to the lower end of a bracket member H4. This bracket member is mounted for vertical sliding movement on the shaft |00, between a boss I IS on the lever 98 and a collar ||8, see Fig. 3, by means of an elongated slot |29, and at its upper end is provided with an outturned ange |22 in which is threaded a stop screwV |24 having a knurled head IZ and alock nut |28. A light coil spring |33 extends between a pin |32, mounted 0n the bracket H4, and a stud |34 on which the pawl lever Ii is pivoted.

As in the prior machine disclosed in the abovementioned patent, the herein-illustrated machine is provided with mechanism for swinging the lever arm 42 in a clockwise direction to lower the jack at the conclusion of the lasting operation, and this mechanism comprises a lever arm |48, pivotally mounted on the machine frame 5, alongside of the lever arm 42 and having a set screw |42 adapted, at' times, to bear against the upper side of a lug |44 projecting from the lever arm 42. The arm |42 is operated by a pattern cam |46, on the pattern cam shaft 21, through a bell crank lever I 48, one arm of which carries a cam roll |543 while the other arm is connected to the arm |45 by means of a link |52. With this arrangement, during the operation of the machine, the cam roll |50 is out of contact with the cam |45 and the arm 42 is free to move under the influence of the springsvli and 80. However, when the pattern cam shaft 21 completes its revolution, the bell crank lever I 48 is actuated to depress the lever arm |40 and with it the lever arm 42, thereby relieving the cable 40 from the tension of the spring il, the spring 8U being at this time disconnected from slide and wholly relaxed, and permitting'the jack frame member I2 to move downwardly. This movement of the lever arm |48 also straightens a toggle, formed by links |69 and |62, see Fig.. 1, the former being connected to the arm |44 and the latter to the machine frame 5. This toggle is held in this straightened condition, in which it constitutes a locking means for holding the spring Iii! out of operation7 by means of a tension spring |64.

Referring to Fig. 1, as in the prior machine of the patent above mentioned, the lasting devices are operated during a portion of the rst half revolution of the shaft I0, and while the oscillating lever 24 is moving downwardly, and the movement of the jack to feed the shoe is effected during a portion of the second half revolution of the shaft and while the lever 24 is moving upwardly. As the lever 24 descends, the lever 93 is turned in a counterclockwise direction, thus elevating the slide 96 which is connected thereto from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1. The spring |3. however, holds the bracket ||4 in its lowermost position, as determined by the engagement of the stop screw |24 with the shaft |89, and the pawl lever |96 is turned in a counterclcckwise direction until its tooth |08 catches one of the teeth l Ii! formed on the ratchet bar 92, thus connecting the slide S6 to the spring 80. Thereafter, and as the downward movement of the lever 24 and the counterclockwise turning of the lever 98 continue, the bracket IM and slide B6 move `upwardly and` the spring tu is tensioned, the .parts eventually reaching the positions shown 'in Fig. 2. As the lever '2t moves upwardly, a reverse action takes place and the lever S8 now `turns in a clockwise direction. This permits the spring to pull the bracket lit downwardly, thus `relaxing the tension of the spring til, until the stop screw ld again contacts the shaft HSG whereupon the pawl lever itt will be turned in a' clockwise direction to remove its tooth itil from engagement with the ratchet teeth on the bar @2,

thereby disconnecting the spring 8S and entirely relaxing its tension.

The timing of the operation of the mechanism just described is such that the parts will assume the positions shown in Fig. 2, in which the maximum tensioning of the spring til is eiected, during that point in the operation of the lasting devices when the upper securing devices are acting, and the pawl lever iili will release the bar S2, thus relaxing the spring `Eiil entirely, before the jack starts to move to feed the shoe.

As will be apparent, the amount that the spring llt is tensioned will depend on the time in the cycle which the pawl lii engages the teeth i iii on the ratchet bar 92. This may be varied by adjusting the position oi the bracket i it, when the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. l by means of the stop screw Hifi. For example, ii the bracket is elevated, the pawl le@ will engage the ratchet teeth i lil later in the cycle and the spring iii! will be tensionecl a lesser amount. On the other hand, if the bracket is lowered., the pawl will engage the ratchet teeth earlier in the cycle and the spring du will be tensioned more.

With the novel mechanism described, while lthe feeding of the shoe is being effected, the j i moved upwardly to press the bottom of the against the guiding presser-feet i with light pressure hy the spring til, which, above noted, is of just sufficient strength to support the weight of the jack and a shoe supported. thereony and to provide this upward pressure. However, during the operation of the lasting devices, the ser @il is tensioned and its force is added to that of the spring Si), with the result that the shoe held more rmly against the guiding presser-feet at this time. As noted above, the spring tu is of ccnsiderable length so that the pressure ci the shoe bottom against the guiding presser-feet li will. be maintained substantially constant, regardless ci the different vertical positions assumed by the jack frame member i2 because oi the heightwise curvature of the shoe bottom, as the shoe is shifted relatively to the lasting devices. Also, regardless of the vertical position of the jack frame member l2, the same selected amount of additional upward pressure will be applied to the jack.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, the combination with intermittently operating devices for acting on the marginal portion of a shoe to perform an operation progressively along the opposite edges of the shoe and a shoe supporting jack operating in time relation to the action of said devices to ltransfer the point of operation of the devices along the opposite marginal portions oi a shoe supported on the jack, of mechanism for exerting upwar pressure on the jack to hold the shoe against said devices comprising means for supporting 'the entire weight of the jack and a shoe thereon to ing .f

hold the shoe yieldingly against said devices, and separate means, normally inoperative but arranged to be rendered operative at a variable determined time, for applying an adjustably variable amount of additional upward pressure on the jack to hold the shoe more firmly against the devices during their periods of action.

2. In a machine for use in lasting shoes, the combination with intermittently acting devices for lasting the upper of a shoe progressively along the opposite sides of the shoe, said devices each including upper tensioning means, upper securing means, and a guiding presser-foot for engaging the bottom of the shoe, and a shoe supporting jack operating in time relation to the action of said devices to transfer the point of operation of the devices along the opposite marginal portions of a shoe support on the jack, oi mechanism for exerting upward pressure on the jack to hold the shoe against the guiding presser-feet of said devices comprising means for supporting the entire Weight of the jack and a shoe thereon to hold the shoe yieldingly against said guiding presser-feet, and separate means, normally inoperative but arranged to be rendered operative at a variable determined time, for applying an adjustably variable amount of additional upward pressure on the jack to hold the shoe more rmly against the guiding presser-feet during the periods of action of said devices.

3. In a machine-for use in the manufacture or shoes the combination with intermittently operating devices for acting on the marginal portion of a shoe to perform an operation progressively along the opposite edges of the shoe and a shoe-supporting jack operating in time relation to the action of said devices to tran-sier the point oi operation of the devices along the opposite marginal portions oi a shoe supported on the jack, of mechanism for exerting upward pressure on the jack to hold the shoe against said devices comprising a spring for supporting the entire weight oi the jack and a shoe thereon to hold the shoe yieldingly against said devices, and separate means, normally inoperative but ar'- ranged to be rendered operative at a variable determined time, for applying an adjustably variable amount of additional upward pressure on the jack to hold the shoe more firmly against the devices during their periods of action.

4l. In a machine ior use in lasting shoes the combination with intermittently acti devices for lasting the upper oi a shoe progressively along the opposite sides of the shoe, said devices each including upper-tensioning means, upper-securing means, and a guiding presser-loot ior engaging the bottom of the shoe, and a shoe-supporting jack operating in time relation to the action of said devices to transfer the point of operation of the devices along the opposite marginal portions of a shoe supporued on the jack, oi mechanism for exerting upward pressure on the iaclc to hold the shoe against the guiding lpresser-feet of said devices comprising a spring for supporting the entire weight of the jack and a shoe thereon to hold the shoe yieldingly against said guiding presser-feet, and separate means, normally inoperative but arranged to he rendered operative at a variable determined time, for applying an adiustably variable amount or additional upward pressure on the jack to hold the shoe more nrrnly against the guiding presserfeet during the periods of action of said devices.

5. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes the combination with intermittently operating devices for acting on the marginal portion of a shoe to perform an operation progressively along the opposite edges of the shoe and a shoe-supporting jack operating in time relation to the action of said devices to transfer the point of operation of the devices along the opposite marginal portions of a shoe supported on the jack, of mechanism comprising means for counterbalancing the entire weight of the jack and a shoe thereon and operative to hold the bottom of the shoe yieldingly, with a light pressure, against said devices, means including a spring for applying an adjustably variable amount of additional upward pressure on the jack to hold the bottom of the shoe more iirmly against said devices, and means for rendering said spring operative only during the periods of vaction of said devices.

6. In a machine for use in lasting shoes the combination with intermittently acting devices for lasting the upper of a shoe progressively along the opposite sides of the shoe, said devices each including upper-tensioning means, uppersecuring means, and a guiding presser-foot for engaging the bottom of the shoe, and a shoesupporting jack operating in time relation to the action of said devices to transfer the point of operation of the devices along the opposite marginal portions of a shoe supported on the jack, of mechanism comprising means for counterbalancing the entire weight of the jack and a shoe thereon and operative to hold the bottom of the shoe yieldingly, with a light pressure, against the guiding presser-feet of said devices, means including a spring for applying an adjustably variable amount of additional upward pressure on the jack to hold the bottom of the shoe more firmly against said guiding presserfeet, and means for rendering said spring operative only during the periods of action of said devices.

'7. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes the combination with an intermittently operating device for acting on the marginal portions o a shoe to perform an operation progressively along the edge of the shoe and a shoesupporting jack operating in time relation to the action of said device to transfer the point of action of the device along the marginal portion of a shoe supported on the jack, of mechanism comprising means for counterbalancing the entire Weight of the jack and a shoe thereon and operative to hold the bottom of the shoe yieldingly, with a light pressure, against said device, spring means for applying additional upward pressure to the jack to hold the bottom of the shoe more firmly against said device, means for rendering said spring operative only during the periods of action of said device, and manually operable means for selectively varying the amount of additional pressure applied by said spring.

8. In a machine for use in the manufacture of shoes the combination with intermittently operating devices for acting on the marginal portionv of a shoe to perform an operation progressively along the opposite edges of the shoe and a shoesupporting jack operating in time relation to the action of said devices to transfer the point of operation of the devices along the marginal portions of a shoe supported on the jack, of mechanism comprising means for counterbalancing the entire weight of ythe jack and a shoe thereon and operative to hold the shoe yieldingly, with a light pressure, against said devices, spring means for applying additional upward pressure on the jack to hold the bottom of the shoe more rmly against said devices, means for rendering the spring means operative only during the periods of action of said devices, and manually operable means for selectively varying the amount of additional pressure applied by said spring.

9. In a machine for lasting shoes the combination with an intermittently acting device for lasting the upper of a shoe progressively along the side of the shoe, said device including uppertensioning means, upper-securing means, and a guiding presser-foot for engaging the bottom of the shoe, and a shoe-supporting jack operating in time relation to the operation of said device to transfer the point of operation of the device along the marginal portion oi a shoe supported on the jack, of mechanism comprising means for counterbalancing the entire weight of the jack and a shoe thereon and operative to hold the bottom of the shoe yieldingly, with a light pressure, against said guiding presser-foot, spring means for applying additional upward pressure on the jack to hold the bottom of the shoe more firmly against said guiding presser-foot, means for rendering said spring operative only during the periods of action of said device, and manually operable means for selectively varying the amount of additional pressure applied by said spring.

l0. In a machine for use in lasting shoes the combination with intermittently acting devices for lasting the upper of a shoe progressively along the opposite sides of the shoe, said devices each including upper-tensioning means, uppersecuring means, and a guiding presser-foot for engaging the bottom of the shoe, and a shoesupporting jack operating in time relation to the action of said devices to transfer the point of operation of the devices along the opposite marginal portions of a shoe supported on the jack, of mechanism comprising means for counterbalancing the entire Weigh-t of the jack and a shoe thereon and operative to hold the bottom of the shoe yieldingly, with a light pressure, against said guiding presser-feet, spring means for applying additional upward pressure on the jack to hold the bottom of the shoe more iirmly against said guiding presser-feet, means for rendering the spring means operative only during the periods of action of said devices, and manually operable means for selectively varying the amount of additional pressure applied by said spring,

CHARLES A. ROBINSON. HERMAN A. IMHOF.

REFERENCES CITED UNlTED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lawson May 194,9

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